MSI RTX 5080 SOC Vanguard Review

Introduction and Technical Specifications

Introduction

It seems easier to obtain a review sample of the new 5000 series Nvidia cards than it does to buy one. Stock issues are now infamous. However, just because it’s not easy to buy one doesn’t make knowing which to buy any less important. We’ve seen the big brother of today’s card, the RTX 5080 SOC Vanguard, in the form of the MSI RTX 5090 Suprim. Very much the premium model in the MSI range. The RTX 5080 on the other hand has loads of versions, from white ones to high end ones to the Vanguard.

Given that stock is difficult to get hold of, prices are currently strong. We expect them to remain firm for a long while until the warehouses finally are full and have caught up to demand. This means that products which sit in the meaty sweet spot of a line-up are ever more attractive. The MSI RTX 5080 SOC Vanguard is one such product. Still boasting the triple fan cooler for which MSI is famed, the Vanguard has a fair few tricks up its sleeve without resorting to Suprim levels of flash and flair.

The RTX 5080 is still a serious card for serious enthusiasts though. £1000 is about the least we’ve seen one for. Whilst we await the performance of the true mass-sellers like the RTX 5070 Ti, it’s a great opportunity to see how the Vanguard fares against the other four RTX 5080 cards we’ve reviewed. Is it enough to reach premium performance levels, or does the mid-point price tag lead to mid-point performance? Onwards.

Technical Specifications